Parks
Parks & Recreation & Write-Ups is a watch-through topic created by TheCodeisBosco in May 2011. So far, all episodes from Seasons One and Two have been covered; Season Three write-ups will be available as soon as possible, though it may be a long wait, as the S3 DVD isn't set to be released until September. Season Four write-ups are also planned, which means that this watch-through will enjoy a longer lifespan than the ill-fated Seinfeld one from a few years back. Episode Write-Ups (Season One) Episode #1: "Pilot" Original Air Date: April 9, 2009 '' Plot: During a disastrous town meeting, Leslie meets Ann Perkins, a nurse who wants something to be done about a giant pit near her house. Leslie accepts the challenge, and decides to turn the pit into a new park. Rating: 7.0/10 (funny enough, this is the same rating I gave Seinfeld's pilot) Best Quote: "I'm from Bennettsville, South Carolina. I'm what you might call a 'redneck.'" - Tom I watched this episode when it originally aired, but as I found it rather mediocre, I decided not to commit to the show. It's promising, then, that I enjoyed it a fair amount more this time around! First and foremost, I liked Amy Poehler a lot - Leslie Knope is cute as a button, and she had some legitimately funny moments (such as the clavicle discussion with Ann). Tom is also funnier than I remembered him being, and in general, the writing really isn't bad at all here. It's occasionally pretty rough around the edges, but there's clearly potential. My quibbles with the pilot... most notably, I just don't like Rashida Jones. There's always been something about her that grates on my nerves a bit. Also, while Ron Swanson is clearly a fan favorite, I have a sinking feeling that his appeal is going to fly over my head. Aside from all that, and a few moments that lack polish, this really is a rather solid pilot. I'm glad I decided to give this show a shot! '''Episode #2: "Canvassing"' Original Air Date: April 16, 2009 '' Plot: Leslie decides to have a town hall meeting about her park project, and to drum up interest, she rounds up her co-workers and begins canvassing. However, they find it difficult to get people to come; and those that do show up turn out to be quite negative about the project. Rating: 5.9/10 Best Quote: "I want my daughter to be successful. Which is why I always tell her: 'There's nothing wrong with being a wife and mother.'" - Marlene MAN! That town hall meeting was tough to watch. >_> Poor Leslie. Anyway, there were a few aspects of this episode that were improved from the pilot - Ann was a bit more likable, Andy was much better - and Leslie and Tom were, of course, solid. All in all, though, "Canvassing" was an inconsistent episode that didn't have as many laughs. The only moment that hit my funny bone hard, aside from the quote above, was the sunscreen scene near the beginning - Tom's reaction was priceless! '''Episode #3: "The Reporter"' Original Air Date: April 23, 2009 Plot: Leslie invites a reporter from the Pawnee Journal ("the town's Washington Post") to write a story about the park project. However, things begin to go off the rails once she discovers that the reporter hooked up with Mark. Rating: 6.5/10 Best Quote: "Popes are allowed to marry in some countries..." - Leslie First off, I have to say: I wasn't crazy about Andy in the pilot, but the dude's officially great now - in particular, I loved the joke about his band name ("Threeskin," which used to be "Foreskin" before they lost a member). April was also able to shine a bit, which was nice! All in all, this was a decent episode. It wasn't hilarious or anything, but it definitely brought more to the table than "Canvassing"; the only major problem with it, really, is that it under-used Tom. The character had been one of the bright points of the past two episodes, but here, he didn't make me laugh once - the Scrabble subplot was a bit flat. The primary storyline, though, worked quite well; and all in all, the episode as a whole was pretty enjoyable! Episode #4: "Boys' Club" Original Air Date: April 30, 2009 '' Plot: Leslie and Ann crash the "boys' club" Mark hangs out with in the city hall courtyard, and Leslie ends up getting in trouble after bringing wine from an "illegal" gift basket. While Ann is away, Andy decides to surprise her by cleaning the house. Rating: 8.5/10 Best Quote: "I like to think I'm fitting in the boys' club... just look at all these bitches cleaning up after me!" - Leslie This was a legitimately rock-solid episode all around, and a big step in the right direction for the series. The main storyline was definitely a good one, and it really gave Leslie a chance to shine: in addition to being more lovable than ever, her character was also fleshed out a bit, which is nice to see. This episode is clear proof that she isn't just a cookie-cutter variant of Michael Scott, which was a common belief during the series' first season. Andy also grew in this episode, in what turned out to be the series' strongest subplot yet - and while I still don't find him particularly funny, I enjoyed seeing Ron stand up for Leslie. Like the previous episode, "Boys' Club" didn't utilize Tom very well, which is a bit of a bummer... but overall, this episode is easily the best of the series thus far. '''Episode #5: "The Banquet"' Original Air Date: May 7, 2009 Plot: While at a banquet honoring her mother, Leslie attempts to suck up to Jeanine, a potentially helpful member of the zoning board. When Jeanine blows her off, however, Leslie's mom suggests blackmailing her for better results. Rating: 6.3/10 Best Quote: "He has two broken legs!" "Yeah, and he has three crutches... and one of them is you! And the other two are crutches!" - Ann and Leslie, respectively This didn't continue the positive trend "Boys' Club" started, but it was still a fairly enjoyable half-hour of comedy. It wasn't as consistent as most of the other episodes, but there were still some clever scenes to be found: Leslie's speech, Ann's conversation with Andy about her dress, and Leslie's attempt to blackmail ("Just sayin'"). My favorite moment, though, was a simple one: April's reaction to Leslie's... interesting... new hairstyle. It looked like her eyes were about to pop out of their sockets! Episode #6: "Rock Show" Original Air Date: May 14, 2009 Plot: Andy gets his casts removed, and later that day, the entire cast goes to see his band perform... except for Leslie, who has to go on a business meeting (which quickly takes an unfortunate turn). Rating: 7.5/10 Best Quote: "Could I have had the casts removed earlier? Technically... yes. But I really, really like it when you serve me food." - Andy This was a pretty good way to wrap up the season! It wasn't incredibly witty, but from a storyline standpoint, it was definitely satisfying. Probably my favorite part of the episode was when Leslie told the group she couldn't make it to the concert: they all seemed disappointed, and legitimately wanted her to skip the meeting and hang with them. On "The Office," Michael is frequently treated like rubbish by his employees, but the P&R characters seem much more tolerant of Leslie's eccentric nature; it's a nice twist that makes the show feel more upbeat. We also got to see Andy at his lowest, Mark at his sleaziest... and we even got to see Tom's wife! My jaw dropped during that scene, for real. Also, while the storyline with Leslie and her much older "date" seemed a bit silly at first, it turned out better than expected, primarily because Ron Perkins' performance was spot-on. Episode Write-Ups (Season Two) Episode #7: "Pawnee Zoo" Original Air Date: September 17, 2009 Plot: Leslie "marries" a pair of penguins as a publicity stunt for the Pawnee Zoo, but as it would turn out, both of the penguins are male. As such, the event is interpreted as a statement on same-sex marriage, and Leslie becomes both deified and demonized by various members of the community. Rating: 7.2/10 Best Quote: On the walls near the zoo's penguin exhibit, there's writing that reads "It's Flipper and Eve, not Flipper and Steve." Priceless. What better way is there to start a sitcom season than to have Amy Poehler perform "Parents Just Don't Understand"? That was one of the funniest cold opens I've seen in a while! Overall, though, this episode wasn't a particularly exciting start to Season Two; but it was certainly enjoyable all the same. The storyline was clever, the "new Andy" was a real treat, and I loved seeing Tom flirt with Joan (the host of "Pawnee Today")! Also, I'm surprised to say this, but I've actually grown to like Rashida Jones on this show. I usually find her kind of smug and unlikeable, but she's pretty cool on P&R. Episode #8: "The Stakeout" Original Air Date: September 24, 2009 Plot: Leslie and Tom visit the "community garden" in the pit, and discover that someone has planted marijuana there - as a result, they decide to have a stakeout to find out who the perp is. Meanwhile, Ann and Mark go on their first date, and Ron finds himself struggling with a hernia. Rating: 8.8/10 Best Quote: "I made us a mix CD! It's filled with songs about people watching people... it's mostly Sting." - Leslie Oh man! This episode was great. At first, it didn't seem like anything too out of the ordinary - but when Ron tossed the burger at his face, I knew that this was going to be something special. Aside from Tom (who's starting to disappoint me, honestly), all the characters got to shine here; the April/Ron dynamic was great, Leslie's scenes with the cop were sitcom gold, and I think that the Ann/Mark relationship will be quite interesting. In particular, though, I have to give Andy some more props. He could have been another unfunny slacker - much like the insufferable Dennis Duffy, from 30 Rock. Fortunately, though, Chris Pratt's acting has been consistently rock-solid, and the writers have done a great job with his character. Despite being a total loser in every possible sense of the word, he actually manages to be really funny... and not entirely unlikeable, which is kind of a minor miracle. Episode #9: "Beauty Pageant" Original Air Date: October 1, 2009 Plot: Leslie and Tom judge the "Miss Pawnee" beauty pageant, but while Leslie takes the job seriously, Tom and the other judges opt to support a rather air-headed contestant. Meanwhile, April decides to enter the pageant in hopes of winning its $600 prize, and Ann discovers Andy's new "home." Rating: 6.9/10 Best Quote: "I like people, places... and things!" - April Without question, Aubrey Plaza owned this episode. April rocked every scene she appeared in, and for my money, she's starting to look like the crown jewel of P&R's supporting cast. Unfortunately though, the rest of the episode was a bit of a letdown. None of the plotlines felt particularly groundbreaking, and in general, there weren't as many laughs here; though it was definitely nice to see Dave the Cop again, and Tom brought some good humor to the table for the first time in a little while. Episode #10: "Practice Date" Original Air Date: October 8, 2009 Plot: With Ann's help, Leslie prepares for her first date with Dave, and it quickly becomes evident that she needs all the help she can get. Meanwhile, the other characters compete to find out the juiciest dirt on one another. Rating: 8.5/10 Best Quote: "I mean, hello! I drove a riding lawnmower through a Nordstrom!" - April DUKE SILVER!!! Oh lawdy, that was amazing! Needless to say, I'm starting to see why Ron has such a following. Even aside from that, though, this episode was solid as a rock. I didn't think Leslie's storyline was exceptional (in spite of a cute ending), but the "dirt game" was a blast to watch, and it was very evident that the cast had a lot of fun with it. There was a wonderfully infectious energy to that subplot, and I wish that it would have been the episode's main focus: wouldn't it have been awesome if Leslie was caught up in it? All in all, great episode. This show is proving to be really addictive. Episode #11: "Sister City" Original Air Date: October 15, 2009 Plot: The members of the Pawnee parks department are visited by park development officials from Boraqua, the town's Venezuelan sister city. To say the least, though, they prove to be antagonistic. Rating: 5.5/10 Best Quote: "Yesterday, I was tough and direct... and today, I have to be charming. Basically, I was Hillary yesterday, and now I have to be Bill." - Leslie Well, this was sort of a let-down. Though it wasn't without its funny moments, the storyline typically felt less like a culture-shock farce, and more like a stressful misfire; and without a sub-plot to help balance things out, the episode ended up not working in my opinion. I was glad Donna received a decent amount of screen time, though, and April was funny as always - and I liked how Tom decided to donate his tips to the park project. That was a cool twist. Episode #12: "Kaboom" Original Air Date: October 22, 2009 Plot: Inspired by the "KaBOOM!" charity, Leslie decides to take action, and attempts to fill in the pit without permission. Rating: 8.7/10 Best Quote: "I put two and two together... and $100,000 could probably get me a bank account!" - Andy Now this is more like it! "Kaboom" was a really satisfying episode that wrapped up a major plot point, while bringing some major laughs to the table. The guest talent was superb - my jaw hit the floor when H. Jon Benjamin showed up - and the writing has rarely been stronger, particularly in the second half of the episode. Time and again, I've been impressed by how well-written Andy is: compared to the typical "dopey slacker" you see on TV, the guy has a surprising amount of depth. I do hope that April isn't absent in any more episodes, though, but that's my only quibble with "Kaboom." It was really great! Episode #13: "Greg Pikitis" Original Air Date: October 29, 2009 Plot: Leslie attempts to apprehend Greg Pikitis, a teenager who she believes is responsible for the annual defamation of an important statue. Ann hosts a Halloween party, and invites everyone in the parks department except Tom, who ends up finding out about it through Jerry. Rating: 8.5/10 Best Quote: "No, no, I don't think she'd be a good cop. I would be frightened to live in a town she was a cop in, frankly." - Dave A great feel-good episode, a legitimately interesting whodunit... "Greg Pikitis" was just quality stuff, for real. I really hope Dave continues to appear for a while longer - this was his best appearance thus far, which is impressive, because he was a good character right from the start! Other highlights from the episode: April talking about "gay Halloween parties," Leslie calling Greg's behavior "turd-ish," and most notably, Andy being reduced to tears while trying to play the "bad cop" with Greg. Priceless. Episode #14: "Ron and Tammy" Original Air Date: November 5, 2009 Plot: Leslie finds herself competing with Ron's ex-wife Tammy for Lot 48, which is where Leslie had been trying to build her park... and to make matters worse, Tammy manages to once again have Ron wrapped around her finger. Hoping to impress Ann, Andy gets a new job as the town hall's shoeshiner. Rating: 9.3/10 Best Quote: "I've never taken the high road. But I always tell everyone else to, because it leaves me with more room on the low road!" - Tom Remember this from my "Pilot" write-up? "Also, while Ron Swanson is clearly a fan favorite, I have a sinking feeling that his appeal is going to fly over my head." ...yeah, no. I was already beginning to see why Ron was loved after the "Duke Silver" episode, but this episode confirmed that the guy is just as awesome as everyone says. His initial reunion with Tammy was laugh-out-loud hysterical, and the episode never lost steam from there: this is, without question, the best episode yet. Major props to Megan Mullally for delivering an Emmy-worthy guest appearance; and even bigger props are in order for Andy, Ann and Mark, who miraculously managed to keep the subplot from being overshadowed by the main story. Episode #15: "The Camel" Original Air Date: November 12, 2009 Plot: After the town hall's "Spirit of Pawnee" mural is vandalized for the umpteenth time, the Pawnee council asks each department to submit a new mural as a replacement. Meanwhile, Andy's shoeshine business begins to take off, and Ron becomes its most frequent customer. Rating: 6.9/10 Best Quote: "DAMN! How does sewage always get the hottest interns?" - Tom The B-plot definitely made me laugh a few times, but unfortunately, the main story was fairly average in spite of some potential. Donna's "presentation" was really funny, the cold open was great, and the fire chief's mural was hysterical; but everything else was a little tepid, I thought. Certainly not bad, but not quite up to the series' ordinary output. Episode #16: "Hunting Trip" Original Air Date: November 19, 2009 Plot: Everyone in the Parks department goes on an ill-fated hunting trip... except for April and Andy, who bond over a shared love of spit-takes and indoor Marco Polo. Rating: 9.1/10 Best Quote: "On a scale of 1 to Chris Brown, how pissed was he?" - Tom When Ann pantsed Tom at the end, I was all like: http://www.myfacewhen.com/346/ And then: http://www.myfacewhen.com/329/ I mean, dang! That was beyond epic! Especially since Tom had been so slimy to her right before - talk about some awesome revenge. Anyway, this episode was excellent all around. The physical comedy was particularly wonderful, and then you had plenty of great dialogue to sweeten the pot: Ron's barrage of insults toward Leslie, April's "spit-take" one-liners, and Leslie's Lucille Bluth-esque dismissal of Ann after deciding to hunt with Ron. It was also great to see Jerry treated with respect for once! The poor guy really deserved it, after the "murinal" debacle from "The Camel." Episode #17: "Tom's Divorce" Original Air Date: December 3, 2009 Plot: While visiting the horrifying "fourth floor" of the Pawnee town hall, Leslie discovers that Tom and Wendy have divorced. Tom himself isn't too bothered by it... until Ron expresses interest in asking Wendy out. Meanwhile, Andy attempts to hustle Mark at billiards. Rating: 10/10 Best Quote: "C'mon! Someone punch somebody!" - April Honorable Mention: "There's a stripper here who works at Quiznos. She's really nice to me here... but really mean to me at Quiznos!" - Tom Well guys, here it is: my first "perfect ten" rating! Every scene of this episode was packed with laughs, with even the more dramatic scenes deftly maintaining a tightrope act between drama and comedy. I mean, "Tom's Divorce" had it all: we got to take a legitimately surreal look at the town hall's dreaded "fourth floor," see Jerry once again be taken seriously for a change, watch Andy finally admit defeat to Mark... and in general, everyone was at the top of their game here. The cast, the writers... everyone. It was just a phenomenal 22 minutes of comedy. Episode #18: "Christmas Scandal" Original Air Date: December 10, 2009 Plot: After being caught up in a sex scandal, Leslie finds herself struggling to clear her name. Ron, wanting Leslie to lay low for a bit, tells her to take a few days off... leaving him and the rest of the parks department with her duties. Andy tries to help April find a gift for her "gay boyfriend." Rating: 10/10 Best Quote: "Thank you, April... but I'm not sure if it's something worth losing your virginity over." - Leslie "Tom's Divorce" blew me away... and miraculously, this episode was even better. I mean, it was pretty much perfect: -The Leslie/Dave storyline was wrapped up in a way that was satisfying and legitimately affecting. Louis C.K. was really fantastic on this show, particularly in the one-on-one interviews - he'll definitely be missed! -The main storyline was riotous, and took plenty of unexpected turns. I never expected Ann to get caught up in the scandal, and I certainly didn't expect Leslie to moon the host of Pawnee Today! -The subplots were just as good. Watching everyone deal with Leslie's daily tasks was a lot of fun, and April/Andy have a surprising amount of chemistry together. -Did I mention that Leslie mooned somebody on TV? This was a warm-hearted, hilarious and thoroughly satisfying episode, and perhaps the best Christmas-themed episode of any show I've seen. Parks and Rec is seriously on a roll right now - I can't wait to see where the season goes from here! Episode #19: "The Set-Up" Original Air Date: January 14, 2010 Plot: Ann sets Leslie up on a blind date, which turns into a nightmare almost immediately... and Mark becomes understandably jealous after meeting Ann's old friend Justin, who she's unusually affectionate towards. Rating: 5.3/10 Best Quote: (when asked about her "ideal man") "I want someone with the brains of George Clooney and the body of Joe Biden!" - Leslie Having just watched a one-two punch of 10/10 episodes, I'm disappointed that the follow-up is my least favorite episode so far. For some reason, things just felt off with this episode - the writing wasn't nearly as strong as usual, the scene transitions felt unusually choppy, and as much as I love Will Arnett, the "awful first date" storyline quickly began to feel hackneyed. The episode only got a few legitimate laughs out of me, which was surprising: this show normally has me rolling! There were some good aspects of "The Set-Up," though. I really like the idea of April being Ron's assistant, and both characters had some funny moments here and there... and I enjoyed Mark's character as well. It was pretty funny seeing him approach Andy for info on Justin. Episode #20: "Leslie's House" Original Air Date: January 21, 2010 Plot: Leslie hopes to impress Justin with a dinner party at her house, and she enlists the help of virtually all of the teachers at the local Recreation Center (who are fearful that their jobs might be lost due to budget cuts). Rating: 9.2/10 Best Quote: "Eww! It's like touching raw chicken." - April, referring to Tom's hands Like "The Set-Up," this episode didn't have the most original plot in the world... but the crucial difference is that this episode was executed extremely well, and put a very fun spin on its familiar story. All the characters were firing on all cylinders - it was a blast to finally see Leslie's home, Ron's "hostile witness" bit was brilliant, the April/Andy dynamic was excellent as always, and we got to see one of Aziz Ansari's strongest performances to date. This is farce done right, ladies and gentlemen. Episode #21: "Sweetums" Original Air Date: February 4, 2010 Plot: Sweetums, a remarkably unhealthy candy company, attempts to get a concessions contract with the Parks department; Ron is very enthusiastic about the idea, but Leslie and Ann are on the opposite end of the spectrum. Tom moves out of his house, with the help of his co-workers. Rating: 9.3/10 Best Quote: "Y'know, for a gay couple, you guys are being really gay." - April This was a really fun episode, and one with particularly strong plotting and dialogue. The cast clearly had a ball with it: there were more hilarious facial expressions than I could count, Nick Offerman undoubtedly enjoyed showing off his woodshop skills (that harp looked amazing), and Leslie's reaction to the initial Sweetums promo was all kinds of adorable ("Oh, Shoelace!"). Watching the characters bond over pizza and "Deep Blue Sea" while at Tom's place was a lot of fun too... you've gotta feel bad for Jerry, though! The dude was always in the wrong place at the wrong time. Episode #22: "Galentine's Day" Original Air Date: February 11, 2010 Plot: Leslie and Justin reunite Marlene with an old flame, only to discover that much has changed over the decades. Andy and his band "Mouse Rat" play a show for the most intimidating crowd around: senior citizens. Rating: 10/10 Best Quote: "I'm pretty sure that was the senior citizen equivalent of flashing. We nailed that gig!" - Andy It feels a little weird to be handing out so many 10 ratings, but I really do feel like each one is justified. "Galentine's Day" was a masterful episode, and the most fascinating one to date: hilarious as it was, there was a legitimately melancholy air to it as well, and I've honestly never seen anything quite like it on TV. The main story was phenomenal, as it took a quirky concept and made it remarkably realistic in terms of emotion: the resolution of the Leslie/Justin story arc was incredible as well, I thought. But really, everything about this episode was spot-on... and the great Mouse Rat cover songs were the icing on the cake! Also, the cold open was perhaps one of the best I've seen on any show. Leslie and Donna were priceless during it. Episode #23: "Woman of the Year" Original Air Date: March 4, 2010 Plot: The parks department gets a letter from the Indiana Organization of Women about their "Woman of the Year" award, which was awarded to... Ron Swanson?!? Tom tries to get the money necessary to invest in a local nightclub, and April helps Andy look for a new place to live. Rating: 7.7/10 Best Quote: "Are these real people...?" - Jerry, referring to the celebrities in Tom's presentation The idea of Ron winning a "Woman of the Year" award is hilarious, but the execution didn't have as much punch as I would have liked; fortunately though, the B-plots fared quite well, and really helped pick up the slack. The stars of this episode were Tom and Andy, no doubt - both were great here, and in particular, I thought it was really cool how Andy decided to help Tom out at the end. There was a decent amount to enjoy if you're a Donna fan, too... the ending was hilarious, I thought! "I bought three shares! Thanks for the tip!" Episode #24: "The Possum" Original Air Date: March 11, 2010 Plot: Leslie, Andy and Tom attempt to catch a opossum named "Fairway Frank" that bit the mayor's dog... and though they succeed in catching a opossum, Leslie fears it's the wrong one. Ron wants to expand his woodshop, but Mark makes him get the building up to code first. Rating: 7.9/10 Best Quote: "I can't kill the possum, because it might be innocent. I can't let the possum go, because it might be guilty. Can't make a good soup, can't do a handstand in a pool. Can't spell the word lieutenant. There are a lot of cant's in my life right now." - Leslie Though it didn't quite achieve greatness, "The Possum" is an awfully solid episode all the same. There were some standout scenes, for sure: the cold open, Tom's appreciation of Tiger Woods, and April and Leslie hiding from the opossum loose in Ann's house. Seeing Mark and Ron go head-to-head had its fun moments as well, and the ending was pretty satisfying. There really isn't much else to say about this one: it's just a fun, sturdy episode. Episode #25: "Park Safety" Original Air Date: March 18, 2010 Plot: After Jerry gets, uh, "mugged," his co-workers unsuccessfully attempt to be nicer to him. Ron, inspired by the incident, teaches the parks department lessons in self-defense. Rating: 8.5/10 Best Quote: "No! I always write my own name. But just to be safe, I DO put in 20 extra Jerrys." - Leslie SAMBERG!!! Man, this show attracts some awesome guest talent. A lot of people apparently didn't like his character, but personally, I thought he brought some huge laughs to the table: especially at the end, when he finally stopped shouting. Andy can do no wrong, if you ask me. Anyway, I liked this episode a lot. Leslie's imitation of Tom was her funniest scene in a while, Jerry's presentation was hysterical, and there were some top-tier April moments. Also, though Jerry obviously had his fair share of misfortune in this episode, it was nice to see that he had a few moments of good luck: I liked that Mark stuck up for him, and the ending scene suggests that he has a happy home life, which is nice to hear! Episode #26: "Summer Catalog" Original Air Date: March 25, 2010 Plot: Leslie plans to write an article about her picnic with Ron and the three previous park directors, but she changes her mind upon realizing that they hate each other. Ann and Mark model for Tom's photo shoot for the summer catalog. Rating: 9.0/10 Best Quote: "Where are they going with the food? I'm starving. I only had one breakfast today." - Ron Holy CRAP, that cold opening was amazing! The comedic timing couldn't have possibly been better. :D Fortunately, the episode as a whole was similarly excellent: it's particularly a treat for fans of April, Ron and Tom, as they had a bevy of terrific moments. The clash of the park directors was frequently hilarious, too; I hope Michael comes back at some point! Given some time, he could be one of television's funniest stoners, right up there with Leo from That 70s Show. Episode #27: "94 Meetings" Original Air Date: April 29, 2010 '' Plot: Leslie attempts to save a historic gazebo from destruction, while also coping with news that Mark plans to marry Ann. Due to a (hilarious) mistake made by April, Ron finds himself dealing with a ridiculous amount of meetings. Rating: 9.0/10 Best Quote: "April was supposed to be the moat that kept the citizen barbarians away from Swanson Castle. Instead, she blew up the castle and stabbed me in the face!" - Ron Whoa! April's family is different than I expected - I wasn't expecting her parents to be straight out of "Leave it to Beaver," and her sister is even quieter than she is! I also hope we eventually find out why her nickname is "Zuzu." As for the episode itself: I don't think this was Leslie's strongest storyline, but the "94 meetings" plot itself was top-notch, and the episode as a whole was very satisfying. I never get tired of the "Duke Silver" callbacks, and the one in this episode was maybe the funniest yet - it was also a lot of fun seeing how the characters took care of their respective meetings, and Jerry's brief cameo was downright hilarious. Too bad Donna didn't make an appearance, though! '''Episode #28: "Telethon"' Original Air Date: May 6, 2010 Plot: Leslie gets a job hosting part of a 24-hour telethon... unfortunately though, her timeslot is an undesirable one: 2-6 A.M. Mark reveals to Leslie that he plans to propose to Ann, and later that day, Leslie also discovers that Ann plans to break up with him. Rating: 9.5/10 Best Quote: "Oh my God. He's actually making us lose money." - April The concept of this episode is a really unique one, and fortunately, the execution was superb as well! This is a fan favorite episode, and for good reason: it gives all the characters a bevy of great moments, it's full of amusing callbacks to previous episodes, and we get to see Ron's potentially dangerous "Sleep Fighting." What's not to love? Episode #29: "The Master Plan" Original Air Date: May 13, 2010 Plot: State auditors from Indianapolis come to assess Pawnee's budget issues, and quickly find that things are quite bleak; this terrifies Leslie, and greatly pleases Ron. April celebrates her 21st birthday at the Snakehole Lounge. Rating: 10/10 Best Quote: "What exactly will you be cutting? And how much of it, and can I watch you do it while eating Pork Cracklins?" - Ron Man, what a great episode. I don't even know where to start: all the awesome Ron moments, Andy's problems with math, the drunken hijinks of Leslie and Ann, the November song. This episode is stuffed to the max with brilliance, and regardless of who your favorite character is, you'll no doubt walk away really satisfied; even if your favorite is Jean-Ralphio, for some reason. :P He was definitely funnier here than in past episodes! Of course, though, the main reason why "The Master Plan" is such a notable episode is because of the introduction of two major characters: Chris and Ben, the state auditors who couldn't possibly be more different from one another. It seems like they've been well-received by the fanbase, and so far, I like them too: hopefully they continue to impress! Even if they don't, though, P&R nonetheless has one of the best casts on TV, and this episode is excellent proof. Episode #30: "Freddy Spaghetti" Original Air Date: May 20, 2010 Plot: After an annual children's concert is canceled due to Pawnee's financial crisis, Leslie decides to hold it herself. Meanwhile, Mark decides to leave his job, Ron fights to keep the state auditors from firing Leslie, and April and Andy reveal their true feelings to each other. Rating: 8.9/10 Best Quote: "I guess I've been mispronouncing your name all these years... Mark Brendana-quits!" - Leslie Though not one of Season Two's crown jewels, this was a great conclusion to the season all the same. For a half-hour program, the plot was remarkably huge: every major character had a key role, and in particular, this was a great episode for Leslie, Ron and even Mark. Seeing Ron stick up for Leslie is always great television, and I loved when he mentioned that he was fighting to protect government jobs, and then added that "It's been a weird day for me." Also, I finally found out what a "Swanson" is... and it looks amazing! As for why the rating isn't higher: for some reason, the April/Ann/Andy love triangle didn't seem quite as interesting as usual. There scenes weren't bad by any stretch, don't get me wrong, but the rest of the episode was definitely higher caliber in my opinion. Still though, this really was a great season finale.